Satyendar Jain 'Misused' Position To Meet Family Members In Restricted Areas Of Tihar Jail: Probe Panel Report

A three-member committee has found serious lapses on part of the Tihar jail authorities, which led to breach of the prison rules at several levels.

Jailed Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain used to frequently meet his wife Poonam Jain and other family members, misusing his authority as the Prisons Minister of Delhi. Satyendar Jain, who is lodged in Tihar jail, was arrested on May 30 after the ED charged him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged money laundering and owning assets disproportionate to his income between February and May 2017.

His wife Poonam has also been accused of the same offences. The ED also attached immovable property worth Rs 4.81 crore owned by private firms allegedly connected to the Jain family.

ABP News has accessed the report of the three-member committee that’s probing allegations of misconduct inside the Tihar jail. The committee comprises the principal secretary (Home), the principal secretary (Law), and the vigilance secretary of Delhi.

The report levels serious allegations against the prison administration.

The report mentions that the minister’s family met him in the restricted areas of the prison, which are off-limits for outsiders.

The report points towards the erstwhile DG of Prisons, Sandeep Goel, as he is close to Satyendra Jain, thus facilitating the meetings. Questions have also been raised on how (now-suspended) jail superintendent Ajit Kumar met Satyendra Jain inside the jail. The report recommends departmental proceedings against Goel for extending VIP treatment to Satyendra Jain.

The report further reads: “There was benami use of the jail account cards of other inmates by Satyendra Jain to purchase fruits/food and other items for his personal use. These jail account cards were recharged by the Jail warden and other financially well-off inmates.” "3-4 Jail account cards were used by Satyendra Jain and his close aide Sanjay Gupta to purchase consumables from the jail canteen. This was done to circumvent the monthly monetary limit of Rs. 7000/- per card per month," it added.